The IT Experience Podcast

HappySignals

Podcast for those who want to take IT Experience Management (ITXM) in use and improve Employee Experience of IT Services in large enterprises. We talk about Human-Centric IT, how does it change the culture of IT Departments from SLAs to Experience Metrics and XLAs. If you use ServiceNow or other enterprise service management system to provide services to end-users, then this is for you. To learn more about Human-Centric IT Experience Management visit https://happysignals.com/

  1. 130. ITXM Practitioners: Shaun Brown, Director Global Service Delivery

    2D AGO

    130. ITXM Practitioners: Shaun Brown, Director Global Service Delivery

    In this episode, Shaun Brown discusses the evolution of IT experience management, emphasizing the importance of communication, reputation, and understanding user needs. He shares insights on measuring success through SLAs and CSAT, practical applications of experience management, and the value of feedback in driving change. The conversation highlights the shift towards a more human-centered approach in IT, focusing on building relationships and enhancing user experiences. Takeaways Experience management is the evolution of IT service management.Building relationships is key to IT reputation.Communication is crucial for user satisfaction.SLAs measure speed, not user satisfaction.CSAT may not drive meaningful change.Lost productivity hours can highlight areas for improvement.Experience management should focus on user needs.Feedback is essential for continuous improvement.IT experience management is a team effort.Understanding emotional impact is vital in IT services.Shaun Brown: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaunjbrown/Subscribe to our newsletter:LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/it-experience-insights-6996053129205026816/⁠⁠⁠⁠Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://happysignals.com/itxm-insights

    18 min

  2. 11/20/2025

    129. Lisa Bauer: Transforming Team Dynamics with Human-Centered Design

    In this episode of the HappySignals podcast, host Sakari Kyrö interviews Lisa Bauer, who shares her journey through various industries and her experiences at IDEO. Lisa discusses the importance of human-centered design, the transition from an asking culture to an assigning culture in team dynamics, and the significance of stakeholder involvement in organizational change. She emphasizes the need for a culture of experimentation and continuous learning, drawing on her experiences to inspire others in their own transformation journeys. Lisa Bauer - https://www.itslisabauer.com/ Takeaways Lisa is passionate about helping her colleagues and improving team collaboration.Her career path has been nonlinear, spanning various industries.Human-centered design is crucial for effective team dynamics.Transitioning from asking to assigning teams can enhance project outcomes.Involving stakeholders in the design process leads to better acceptance of changes.A culture of experimentation allows for learning and growth.Prototyping is essential in the design process.Identifying key players is vital for successful change management.Lisa aims to spread the values of human-centered design in traditional industries.Optimizing operations is a continuous journey that requires collaboration. Subscribe to our newsletter: LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/it-experience-insights-6996053129205026816/⁠ Email: ⁠https://happysignals.com/itxm-insights

    26 min

  3. 10/09/2025

    128. Better Together - DEX Partnership with HappySignals and Nexthink

    In this episode of the IT Experience Podcast, hosts Pasi Nikkanen, Sami Kallio, and Sakari Kyrö discuss the importance of digital employee experience (DEX) and the recent strategic partnership between HappySignals and Nexthink. They share insights from a recent event in London, highlight an upcoming webinar, and emphasize the significance of company culture and team building as they celebrate their 11th anniversary. The conversation underscores the need for collaboration between technology and experience data to enhance IT services and employee satisfaction. Takeaways Digital Employee Experience (DEX) is crucial for optimizing IT services.The partnership between HappySignals and Nexthink aims to enhance customer experience.Understanding both technology and human experience is essential in IT.Recent events have shown a strong interest in collaboration within the industry.The upcoming webinar will showcase practical use cases for the partnership. Register for the upcoming webinar, or watch it on demand later: https://www.happysignals.com/happysignals-nexthink-webinar Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Digital Employee Experience 03:02 Strategic Partnership Announcement 05:05 Upcoming Events and Webinars 08:35 Company Culture and Team Building 10:22 Introduction to the Conversation 10:22 Exploring Key Themes in the Discussion

    11 min

  4. 08/21/2025

    127. From AI Hype to Human-Centred IT: Jaro Tomik from CDW

    CDW chief technologist Jaro Tomik joins host Sakari Kyrö to unpack two seismic shifts rocking enterprise IT: the rise of AI-washing and the pivot to experience-led service management. Hear how Jaro’s “escape-room for IT” workshops flip roles, surface hidden bottlenecks and turn data visibility into a zero-ticket, proactive support vision—all while keeping people and productivity front-and-centre. Key Take-aways Beware AI-washing. Almost every vendor now claims “AI,” so leaders must cut through marketing noise to find real value.Employee experience is the new compass. Human-centred design and continuous experience data now guide project prioritisation.Scenario workshops build cross-functional empathy. Role-swapping lets teams feel each other’s pain, revealing blind spots safely.Service-desk reality is tough. Experiencing the frontline first-hand fosters respect and partnership between business and IT.Visibility requires three data lenses—technology, operational, experience. Only by merging all three can CIOs see true bottlenecks.A living roadmap tames VUCA change. A clear three-year vision anchors busy teams and retains talent.Automation + AI enable proactive, “zero-ticket” support. When IT knows device health and feelings up-front, users stay productive.External facilitation accelerates buy-in. An outside voice often unlocks trust and momentum that internal teams struggle to spark. Resources & Links mentioned Jaro Tomik on LinkedIn – connect for daily enterprise-service-management insights https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarotomikCDW Enterprise Service Management – learn how CDW guides large enterprises through experience-led transformation https://www.cdw.com/Scenario-Based IT Workshops (Sunburst Simulations) – explore the escape-room-style workshop framework Jaro runs https://sunburst-simulations.com/ Subscribe to our newsletter: LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/it-experience-insights-6996053129205026816/⁠ Email: ⁠https://happysignals.com/itxm-insights

    41 min

  5. 08/07/2025

    126. Hasse Eranka - Clarity Over Complexity: The New Rule for IT Leaders

    Communications strategist Hasse Eranka joins HappySignals’ Sakari Kyrö to reveal why IT teams often lose business audiences—and how a few audience-first storytelling habits can fix it fast. From cutting information overload to turning feedback loops into word-of-mouth advocacy, Hasse shares practical tools any CIO, service-desk lead or ITSM owner can use to showcase purpose, improve employee experience and prove value beyond uptime. Key Take-aways Start with the audience, not the stack. Shift from “what we did” to “why it helps you” to keep business partners engaged.Less is more—ditch information overload. Strip non-essential details; clarity beats completeness when explaining technical work.Story structure makes facts stick. Frame updates with a beginning-middle-end narrative and relatable examples.Humanise IT through faces and formats. Replace long emails with short videos, plain language and visible experts.Close the loop to build trust. Follow up after sending messages, gather feedback and show actions taken.Consistency plus personality drive word-of-mouth. Regular, authentic communication sparks employees to champion IT across the organisation.Communication is a skill—practice it systematically. Treat storytelling like any process: test, refine and repeat for measurable experience gains. Resources & Links mentioned Hasse Eranka on LinkedIn – connect and follow his communication insights ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/hasse-eranka-34836423/⁠ Subscribe to our newsletter: LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/it-experience-insights-6996053129205026816/⁠ Email: ⁠https://happysignals.com/itxm-insights

    29 min

  6. 07/24/2025

    125. Clarity, Common Sense & Storytelling — Paul Brandvold on Keeping ITSM Human

    LinkedIn’s rising IT-service-management voice Paul Brandvold joins HappySignals host Sakari Kyrö to unpack why plain-language storytelling, real-world leadership, and a healthy dose of common sense are reshaping how internal IT support shows value. From the hidden pressures driving talent away to the grassroots expertise you’ll need when rolling out AI, Paul shares practical lessons every CIO, IT director, and service-desk lead can act on today. Key Take-aways Storytelling cuts through ITSM jargon. Simple analogies turn “boring” concepts into messages people remember.Common sense beats framework dogma. Follow ITIL where it helps, but bend the rules when reality demands it. Heroes are curious, service-minded “yes people.” They learn fast, step outside comfort zones, and keep teams resilient. Listen to the grassroots on AI. Front-line agents understand user pain far better than top-down strategy decks. Business stakeholders must see ITSM as a partner. Empathy and appreciation turn “thankless” support into joint value creation. Relentless upskilling is non-negotiable. Automation will claim repetitive tasks, but opens new roles for people who adapt. Resources & Links mentioned Paul Brandvold on LinkedIn – follow his daily ITSM insights ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulbrandvold⁠ITIL® Home – official site for the IT service-management framework Paul references ⁠https://www.axelos.com/best-practice-solutions/itil⁠ Subscribe to our newsletter: LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/it-experience-insights-6996053129205026816/⁠ Email: ⁠https://happysignals.com/itxm-insights

    24 min

  7. 07/10/2025

    124. 2025 Global IT Experience Benchmark: Uncovering the 13 % of Tickets Behind 80 % of Lost Productivity

    Launched in May at London’s iconic The Gherkin tower, HappySignals’ Pasi Nikkanen sits down with benchmark lead Sakari Kyrö to unpack the brand-new 2025 Global IT Experience Benchmark Report. Together, they explore why employee-focused support still tops the happiness charts, how finance services can be both the happiest and the slowest, and why remote-work scores slipped as enterprises tighten return-to-office mandates. You’ll hear actionable insights every CIO, IT director and service-desk leader can use to turn experience data into measurable productivity gains. Key Take-aways This year's report included data from enterprise services beyond IT.Happiness levels in IT, finance, and HR services are closely related.Remote work happiness has decreased due to back-to-office mandates.Ticket-based support and collaboration with IT are key happiness factors.Open text feedback revealed a desire for improved IT support.Industry-specific insights show varying happiness levels and lost time.80% of lost time comes from only 13% of tickets.Understanding business costs versus IT costs is crucial for IT organizations.A systematic approach to experience management yields significant results. Resources & Links mentioned in this episode: 2025 Global IT Experience Benchmark Report – download the full report https://www.happysignals.com/report ITXM Summit on-demand sessions – watch Sakari Kyrö’s keynote and every other presentation from the London event https://www.happysignals.com/itxm-summit ServiceNow Knowledge Conference – the annual Las Vegas gathering referenced in the episode https://knowledge.servicenow.com/ Subscribe to our newsletter: LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/it-experience-insights-6996053129205026816/⁠ Email: ⁠https://happysignals.com/itxm-insights

    21 min

  8. 04/03/2025

    123. Future Proofing Service Management with Sophie Hussey

    In this episode of the HappySignals IT Experience podcast, host Sakari Kyrö speaks with service management and leadership consultant Sophie Hussey. They discuss the importance of future-proofing service management, the need for better education on service management in schools, and the visibility of career pathways in the field. Sophie emphasizes the significance of understanding the user experience, the role of service management in delivering services, and the challenges organizations face. They also explore the balance between data analysis and human insight, the role of mediation in service management, and how to recognize when external support is needed to improve organizational effectiveness. Follow Sophie on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiehussey/ Takeaways Future-proofing service management is crucial for the industry.Education systems need to include service management in their curriculum.Service management can enhance user and colleague experiences.Visibility of career pathways in service management is lacking.Service management plays a significant role in delivering services effectively.Organizations often overlook the importance of talent management and leadership development.Reading between the lines can uncover deeper organizational issues.Data analysis must be complemented by human insight for effective decision-making.Mediation can help resolve conflicts and improve collaboration in teams.Recognizing symptoms of dysfunction can indicate the need for external support. Subscribe to our newsletter LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/it-experience-insights-6996053129205026816/⁠Email: ⁠https://happysignals.com/itxm-insights

    37 min
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Podcast for those who want to take IT Experience Management (ITXM) in use and improve Employee Experience of IT Services in large enterprises. We talk about Human-Centric IT, how does it change the culture of IT Departments from SLAs to Experience Metrics and XLAs. If you use ServiceNow or other enterprise service management system to provide services to end-users, then this is for you. To learn more about Human-Centric IT Experience Management visit https://happysignals.com/

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